[Jian]

Just finished my settings, NDS1 with Russ Andrews PSU wired up with DA11 balanced out to hpa v200 then T1. The sound is very satifying !

 

[.Sup]

Quote:

Just finished my settings, NDS1 with Russ Andrews PSU wired up with DA11 balanced out to hpa v200 then T1. The sound is very satifying !

Did you noticed any improvements with the RA PSU?

 

[Jian]

RA psu does give a bit more clear and airy sound,better extension, but the difference is not very huge.

 

[ztsen]

Quote:

RA psu does give a bit more clear and airy sound,better extension, but the difference is not very huge.

Will using the RA psu remove the brightness of the source?
 
My 840C sound bright if using external input but not with playing from CD.

 

[rosgr63]

Thanks for the info.
 
As the price of the RA PSU is high it may not be a cost effective solution.
Quote:

RA psu does give a bit more clear and airy sound,better extension, but the difference is not very huge.

 

[Jian]

Quote:

Will using the RA psu remove the brightness of the source?
 
My 840C sound bright if using external input but not with playing from CD.

I used to use my 840c's DAC to feed my HPA V200, didn't find the source to be bright, but just not as good as when playing cd. Thats why I bought DA11 and its a instant upgrade for 840c and NDS1. With T1, no brightness spotted.
 

 

[Sid-Fi]

I just setup my new Onkyo ND-S1 this morning...I am very impressed. I had been using my Ibasso D10 (first DAC/amp) for about a year now through either my desktop's or laptop's USB or through my iPod 160gb via LOD. I expected my setup to sound the same through Onkyo and bought it for the convenience of being able to use my D10's DAC anywhere in the house (had been using it with my Ipod via LOD for the majority of the time).
 
After setting up the Onkyo and listening, I was very surprised to hear a very significant improvement in SQ. The sound was much clearer and separation improved very noticeably. The sound also became more polished (closer to live) and I literally couldn't believe it was sounding that much better. Although I have loved my D10 (with HiFlight's latest topkit) for almost a year now, I had no idea it was quite this good. I am very impressed!
 
Would most of this improvement be due to superior jitter reduction from the Onkyo versus high jitter through my desktop's USB?

 

[gsawdy]

This sounds like the perfect complement to a portable system built around an iPod.  I've got two questions both of which apply to my iPod.
 
1.    Does the ND-S1 work with an iMod?  In my case a DYIiMod, but I think it's the same as the standard iMod.
 
2.     What a Rockboxed iPod playing Flac?
 
There may be something that I'm missing or should know, but I can't figure out a simple way to answer these questions.
 
George

 

[grokit]

 
Quote:

This sounds like the perfect complement to a portable system built around an iPod.  I've got two questions both of which apply to my iPod.
 
1.    Does the ND-S1 work with an iMod?  In my case a DYIiMod, but I think it's the same as the standard iMod.
 
2.     What a Rockboxed iPod playing Flac?
 
There may be something that I'm missing or should know, but I can't figure out a simple way to answer these questions.
 
George

1. Yes, but it's kind of a misuse of an iMod as it would sound no better than a stock iPod when just used as a transport with the Onkyo. Depending on your external DAC though, it could certainly still be an improvement over the iMod's already improved sound quality. It would just be a less dramatic improvement than it would be with an iPod.
Clear as mud

?
 
2. Yes, a Rockboxed iPod could play FLAC.

 

[Jian]

Nice answer, but the SQ of the nds1 will be depending on the DAC you used. With IMOD all you need is a vcap doc and an amp.
 
It'd be insteresting to A/B my Vcap imod and my RA NDS1+DA11. Just too busy recently, will do it and post the feelings later.

 

[gsawdy]

 
Quote:

 

1. Yes, but it's kind of a misuse of an iMod as it would sound no better than a stock iPod when just used as a transport with the Onkyo. Depending on your external DAC though, it could certainly still be an improvement over the iMod's already improved sound quality. It would just be a less dramatic improvement than it would be with an iPod.
Clear as mud

?
 
2. Yes, a Rockboxed iPod could play FLAC.

Quote:

Nice answer, but the SQ of the nds1 will be depending on the DAC you used. With IMOD all you need is a vcap doc and an amp.
 
It'd be insteresting to A/B my Vcap imod and my RA NDS1+DA11. Just too busy recently, will do it and post the feelings later.

Thank you grokit (like your avitar) and Jain,
 
Grokit:  Your first answer is very clear.  I've got an 80 gig rockboxed 5.5 ipod.  I'm on the cusp on whether to go through the hassles of upgrading the HD to 240 gig (easy) and then fussing with rockbox to recognize the additional capacity (probably not easy for me!)  On the road the imod-> protector-> jh13 would be the system, at home the imod would just be the hd/server.  At home the DAC would be a Slim Transporter.  Is the Transporter the better DAC?  Don't know--just assumed it would be better.   Maybe not!  
 
Jian:  I'll definitely be interested in your test results.  I'd expect the Lavry to be better than the Transporter DAC-wize and much better than the iMod.
 
My appologies for the second question's ambiguties.   What I want to know is if I'm using Rockbox to play Flac.  How does this work with the ND-S1?   Same as Apple Lossless?  Which I guess is yes from your answer to #2, right?    I'm especially interested to know if the remote works with the Rockbox OS.
 
Thanks for the prompt answers,    George
 
PS,  I know these questions are somewhat academic as right now the music is stored on a home server, so the imod would just be a backup.   geo

 

[Jian]

Hi, gsawdy, I think you've got one thing wrong here. The whole point for the NDS1 transpoter (different from an ipod dock) is that it does not have a DAC and it only drew the data out from the ipod. the data will than directly pass on to your own DAC, the transporter does not have any analog output means if you do not have a DAC it simply would not make any sound. P.S. Vennie from rwa said that the imod will some how be problematic when using rockbox, so the better and simpler way to do this is justto  buy a 160G ipod classic.
 
How this will help.
 
 
Jian

 

[haloxt]

gsawdy, the mk2431gah 240gb hard drive can be had cheap here, also comes with instruction cd, and tools, and 850mah ipod battery for 5g ipods. http://apricorn.com/product_detail.php?type=family&id=42
 
The original apple ipod firmware works with the 240gb hard drive. Rockbox can do the 240gb hard drive, however, you may need a special modified bootloader from rockbox to use it, and it is a bit buggy, at least the version I got released late April of this year. I tried looking up the special bootloader with larger hard drive support but it was deleted, I am guessing it was most likely incorporated into the main ipod bootloader, if not I can supply the modified bootloader. I also imagine, you will have compatibility issues with this onkyo transport and rockbox unless you have read online of people doing it without incident, if it doesn't work, don't count on rockbox making them compatible because they are mostly just interested in making mp3 player software not make them compatible with rare transports.
 
If you need any advice installing the hard drive and setting up the software let me know.

 

[mrarroyo]

We should ask Vinnie of Red Wine Audio if an iModded iPod can still be used w/ the ND-S1 or the 170i. If so you could use the iModded iPod on the road and at home use it the digital out of it via the Onkyo or the Wadia. But Vinnie would be the best source.

 

[gsawdy]

Responding from last to first---
 
Miguel:  You are right.  Vinnie can provide definitive answers to the iMod questions.  Wonder if he uses  Rockbox?  He'll check in sooner or later.
 
Haloxt:  Thank you for your kind offer of help.  I've checked utube--great videos for installing HD.  Odd that Rockbox has deleted the build for greater capacity HD., maybe they have been incorporated in the latest build.
 
Jian:  I think I'm not understanding.  The Transporter has digital inputs and can output analog using its own DAC.  I've never used it as an independent DAC but I don't think there is a problem.
 
George